Understanding the role of alloying additions in the development of high-performance strain-induced precipitation hardenable AA6xxx series aluminium alloys

Applications are invited for one full-time EPSRC Industrial CASE (ICASE) PhD studentship for the project, at Brunel University London, starting on 1st October 2025.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £23000 + annual EPSRC increase + extra from Constellium plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 48 months (4 years).

This project is sponsored by Constellium, a global leading manufacturer of high-quality technically advanced aluminium products and systems. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work alongside our industrial partners and contribute to Constellium’s strategic R&D aims. This includes a 3-month work placement within Constellium’s international business.

The project aim is to establish a greater understanding of the impact of alloying additions (e.g. Cu, Sn, In etc.) on the natural ageing retardation and precipitation kinetics of AA6xxx Al-alloys and, also, to understand, step-by-step the entire thermomechanical processing through advanced high – resolution TEM investigations.

The student will receive training in the use of the facilities available in the new developed Microstructural Characterisation Centre (MCC) at BCAST. The new centre includes state of the art TEMs, SEMs and a metallurgy laboratory for TEM/SEM samples preparation.

Please contact Dr Raluca Florentina Negrea (ralucaflorentina.negrea@brunel.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

  • Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a similar discipline. A postgraduate master’s degree is not required but may be an advantage.
  • Applicants will be required to demonstrate basic understanding of alloys processing and microstructural characterisation using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Focussed ion beam microscopy (FIB) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is not required but may be an advantage.
  • In addition, applicants should be highly motivated, able to work independently, as well as in a team and have effective communication skills.

To be eligible to apply for this studentship, applicants should be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. Please check your suitability here

  • To be treated as a home student, candidates must meet one of these criteria:
  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements)
  • Have settled status
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements)
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

 

How to apply

 Please submit your application documents (see list below) in one PDF file by noon on 10 January 2025 to cedps-pgr-office@brunel.ac.uk. Interviews will take place in January 2025.

  • Your up-to-date CV;
  • Your personal statement (300 to 500 words) summarising your background, skills and experience;
  • Your Undergraduate/Postgraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s);
  • Evidence of your English language skills to IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent, 6.0 in all sections), if appropriate;
  • Contact details for two referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Remember to state the title of the project in the subject of your email.

 

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Raluca Florentina Negrea - Highly motivated Scientific Researcher with over 15 years of experience and a strong background in Scanning/Transmission  Electron Microscopy (S/TEM). I possess extensive expertise in advanced analytical and structural characterization of crystalline materials using state-of-the-art electron microscopy techniques. My career has been dedicated to exploring structure–property relationships through high-resolution TEM, STEM, EELS, and related methods. With more than 75 publications in top-tier journals, over 1,800 citations, and an h-index of 24, I have established a solid international reputation in materials characterization. My proven TEM expertise has made me an indispensable collaborator in numerous national and international research projects, where I contributed to the successful development and delivery of key scientific outcomes. In these projects, I also initiated and supervised the research activities of Master’s and Bachelor’s students, fostering their growth in advanced microscopy. The high quality and impact of my work have enabled me to collaborate closely with world-leading experts in materials physics, further strengthening my research network and advancing the field of electron microscopy.